Michigan Vamp

My Old License Plate

Eccentric Night Owl

Quote from Blood Read

"An ambiguously coded figure, a source of both erotic anxiety and corrupt desire, the literary vampire is one of the most powerful archetypes bequeathed to us from the imagination of the nineteenth century."~ page 2 introduction to Blood Read: The Vampire as Metaphor in Contemporary Culture

Intellectual Vampire Quote

"If the vampire is an other, he or she was always a figure in whom one could find one's self...the despicable as well as the defiant, the shameful as well as the unashamed, the loathing of oddness as well as pride in it."~ Richard Dyer

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Monday, August 4, 2014

When does science turn into magic? In an episode of Babylon 5, a mage explains to one of the
characters that magic is merely technology we don’t understand. Can you imagine
how our less cerebral ancestors might have viewed a cell phone? It’s a little
box from which voices emanate. Magic! Or how about a lighter, where at the
flick of a finger, a flame is produced? Or a television, a big box where little
people move and talk? Surely they must be possessed.

How many technological wonders have we yet to discover that
would seem like magic to us today?

Take the invisibility cloak worn by Harry Potter. Magic is at
work in J.K. Rowling’s series. Lord Magnor, the hero in Warrior Lord (The Drift Lords Series #3), wears a similar device on
his belt. Is it magic or technology that allows him to become invisible to his
enemies?

In Magnor’s case, it’s pure science. He explains how it
works to Erika Sherwood, his new bride. They get married after meeting at a Las
Vegas casino and entering a contest for engaged couples on a whim. Erika
couldn’t resist trying for the $50,000 cash prize, plus a new car and a stay in
the resort’s honeymoon suite. But she didn’t expect to find herself wed to a
stranger in front of a live TV audience. Soon she’s swept into a maelstrom of
danger and pursuit. Magnor raids a museum at the Viking Vegas Resort after closing hours. He says
the security guards are enemy soldiers called Trolleks, part of an alien invasion
force who’ve entered Earth through a dimensional rift. He’s after a weapon that
can defeat them. He seeks a clue to this weapon’s whereabouts in an ancient scroll
displayed in the museum.

“Stay
with me. My invisibility belt only works for you if we maintain contact.”

Erika
stared at him. “Your what?”

His
grip tightened. “The technology transmits visual information about our
surroundings through the fibers of my clothing so it seems as though we’re not
here. We disappear into the background. Please tell no one about this device.
It’s proprietary to my, uh, company.”

His
nostrils flared. “Do not believe our status gives you the right to plunder my
secrets. If you even think about betraying me, I’ll hand you over to the
Trolleks myself.”

This device isn’t totally a fictional invention on my part.
I gained this information through a news clipping that mentions camouflage
technology. It’s already in the realm of reality.

Then again, Magnor and Erika encounter dwarfs who have the
power of invisibility along with the ability to turn inanimate objects into
gold. Magic or technology based on science?

We also have a piece of equipment called a PIP, which is
carried by the Drift Lords. This Portable Intel Platform is a handheld device with
multiple functions including a scanner, locator beacon, and levitator beam. It’s
like the Tricorder on Star Trek.
Aren’t we close to this device today with the wristbands that can track your
pulse rate, monitor the number of steps you walk and so on? Add infrared
sensors, and these might be able to track life forms up ahead. We’re not far
away from these tracking and scanning devices. And yet, to a less civilized
group, being able to tell there are unseen humans in the vicinity might seem like
extrasensory abilities at work.

Science makes technology possible, and advanced technology
may seem like magic to the uneducated. In fiction, we have the option of
explaining these abilities or of relegating them to fantasy.

Either way, what seems like magic today can probably be
accomplished tomorrow through technological means. What’s exciting is how we
can incorporate these possibilities into our fictional tales.

Warrior Lord

The Drift Lords Series

Book 3

Nancy J. Cohen

Genre: Paranormal SciFi/Fantasy Romance

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Date of Publication: August 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-62830-446-6

ISBN: 978-1-62830-445-9

ASIN:

Number of pages: 422

Word Count: 102,340

Cover Artist: Debbie Taylor

Book Description:

A fantasy wedding in Las Vegas turns into a nightmare when contest winner Erika Sherwood realizes she’s married an alien.

Pottery sculptor Erika Sherwood has no idea her televised wedding in Las Vegas is for real until an official confirms she and the stranger she’s just met are legitimately wed.

A Drift Lord and warrior of the Tsuran, Magnor tricks the redhead into marriage because she’s one of six women prophesied to save Earth. But as he’s forced into her company in their race against the apocalypse, he wonders if he risks his heart more than his life.

Can a free-spirited ceramic artist and a fierce swordsman trust each other enough to prevent disaster?

Where else but
Las Vegas could a bearded man wearing a cape and sword swagger inside a casino
without drawing attention?

Erika Sherwood
stared at the man who peered around, a bewildered look on his face until his
gaze slammed into hers.

Her heart
slowed, as though the world had frozen in that moment. Despite the bells
ringing and people chattering and roulette wheels spinning, her awareness
narrowed. She couldn’t drag her eyes away from his searing glance.

Her pulse jumped
when the man strode purposefully in her direction, his cape flapping behind
him. With his powerful physique and resolute jawline, he looked like a
superhero come to life. She supposed he’d bought that fabulous costume at a
store along the Strip.

He claimed the
empty seat beside her, exchanged a few words with the blackjack dealer, and set
out a pile of chips. Tension charged the air around him. Her sideways glance
absorbed his longish black hair and trim beard and the wide breadth of his
shoulders. She pulled her skirt down, aware it had hiked up indecently, but his
gaze didn’t go there. Instead, his dark eyes fixated on her wristwatch.

“Miss?” The
dealer’s questioning glance fell on her.

“Oh. Hit me,
please.” She grimaced at the eight of spades she’d drawn. Drat, now she was
over the limit.

“Not having any
luck?” The newcomer nodded at her diminishing pile of chips. “Maybe this isn’t
your game.”

“Excuse me,
mister…?”

“My name is
Magnor.” He quirked an eyebrow when the waitress came by with another round of
free drinks.

Erika lifted her
third Viking Volcano from the tray. Who could resist? The fruity drinks were on
the house, a popular ploy to keep gamblers in their casino.

She raised her
glass in a friendly gesture before taking a sip. “Is Magnor your first name or
your last name?”

“It’s my only
name.” His mouth curved as he watched her reaction.

“O-kay.” She
wasn’t in the mood to challenge him. Those drinks had already gone to her head,
making her happy to accept his remark along with his blatant stare. Probably
half the people in Vegas used false names anyway.

“Do you work
here?” she asked, realizing his outfit matched the resort’s Nordic theme.

He stiffened. “I
should say not. I am a guest, like you.”

“Sorry to have
asked, but you fit the part.”

“It is my
customary attire as a warrior of the Tsuran.”

“I see,” she
said in a noncommittal tone. Maybe he was an actor deep into his role. He could
be taking a break from a movie set. Were they filming a sequel to Thor in the
area?

“Nice timepiece
you’re wearing.” He nodded at the object of his scrutiny.

Erika slid her
hand under the table. “It was a gift.”

Her parents had
given her the watch for her sixteenth birthday with the caveat that she ask no
questions about its unusual properties. It ran with no visible mechanism and no
battery and had a peculiar symbol engraved on its face.

Her forehead
wrinkled. Why had Magnor chosen to comment on her watch when most men would
offer a line about her flaming red hair or her flashy clothes?

Come on, Erika,
why do you care what he thinks? You came here for the art show, remember, and
not to meet men?

It must be the
alcohol causing that low buzzing sound in her ears and not his imposing
presence.

“This
announcement is for all of our engaged couples out there,” blared a loudspeaker
voice. “It’s the last call if you want to enter our exciting contest. The lucky
winners will be married on live television, after which they’ll receive a
complimentary stay in our honeymoon suite, fifty thousand dollars, and a new
car. Entries are being accepted in the Green Room all day Friday until four
o’clock.”

“Fifty thousand
dollars,” Erika muttered. “Man, could I use that money!”

Magnor nudged
her, a grin on his face. “Why don’t we enter the contest together?”

The smile
transformed his features, making her want to study the craggy lines and furrows
that made his visage so interesting.

“What?” she said
when his words finally registered.

“I need a room,
and the hotel is full. If we win, that will solve my problem. You can keep the
car and the cash.”

“B-But the
winners have to get married. On live television.”

He waved a hand.
“Oh, that. Las Vegas is all about fantasy, is it not?”

Her eyes widened.
“You mean, the wedding will be filmed like a reality show, but it isn’t real?”

He winked at
her. “All of the contestants get bonus credits on their club cards. What have
we got to lose?”

Erika stared at
her diminished pile of chips. She’d lost two hundred dollars in less than an
hour. She scooped the remaining credits into her purse while considering the
man’s outrageous suggestion.

In her earlier
days, she’d have accepted his proposal without a second thought. Back then
nothing had mattered except her plants, her pottery, and her own pleasure.

Eventually,
she’d erected an armor of self-discipline around herself so she could
accomplish her goals. However, this resolve had evaporated under the influence
of the drinks and the man’s piercing gaze. Who wouldn’t want a hunk like him as
her fake fiancé?

Ignoring the
warning bells in her mind, she scraped back her chair.

“I accept your
offer,” she told him with bravado. “If we lose, at least we’ll be ahead by
several credits. And it might be fun.”

“We should seal
the deal if we are to play an engaged couple,” Magnor said, closing the
distance between them.

His head
descended before she could protest, and his lips met hers.

About the Author:

Nancy J. Cohen writes the humorous Bad Hair Day mystery series featuring hairdresser Marla Shore. Several of these titles have made the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association bestseller list. Nancy is also the author of Writing the Cozy Mystery, a valuable instructional guide for writers on how to write a winning whodunit. Her imaginative romances have proven popular with fans as well. Her titles in this genre have won the HOLT Medallion and Best Book in Romantic SciFi/Fantasy at The Romance Reviews. A featured speaker at conferences, libraries, and community events, Nancy is listed in Contemporary Authors, Poets & Writers, and Who's Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, & Poets.